India's food landscape is being shaped by culinarians who are blending artistry with strategy, tradition with innovation, seasonality and local insights with global perspectives. This new series, a culinarian deep dive, part of the Godrej Food Trends Report 2025, takes you behind the scenes with the chefs, restaurateurs, food entrepreneurs and culinary thought leaders who are defining what it means to eat, drink and experience food in contemporary India. 
Each deep dive offers insider perspectives on the challenges, opportunities, and cultural shifts reshaping our culinary future — one plate, one concept one bold idea at a time. Starting with – Dining out.

Well, the plate has never been more cultural, more personal, more seasonal or more powerful! As we mark World Culinarians Day on July 25, we’re also observing how India's culinary landscape is experiencing a seismic shift that goes far beyond the traditional restaurant-diner relationship. Our culinarians — the passionate food creators, innovators, and culture-keepers—are orchestrating a dining revolution that's reshaping how we think about eating out.

The emotional economics of dining out

Gone are the days when stepping into a restaurant was simply about ‘just food’. Today's Indian diner seeks something more — an authentic, immersive experience that celebrates unique flavours while bridging diverse culinary narratives. This transformation is hinting at a deeper cultural awakening where every meal has its own identity and a connection to heritage.

Chef Koushik S. captures this evolution perfectly: "At its core, dining has evolved beyond sustenance into an emotional journey, where every choice reflects a blend of nourishment, individuality, and a sense of purpose."

People now prioritise menus that offer transparency in ingredients, nutritional benefits, and options aligned with their health goals, such as vegan or low-carb choices. Chefs are now using creative specials and seasonal menus to provide diners with unique, memorable experiences.

The new menu manifesto: What culinarians are betting on

Our deep dive into the GFTR 2025 report reveals fascinating insights into what's driving culinarian thinking around menu innovation.

The cultural comeback

Chef Shilarna Vaze identifies a particularly compelling trend: "Provenance-driven, ingredient-forward restaurants and those offering niche regional cuisines, led by young chefs embracing their culture after honing their culinary skills on global platforms, will be the nouvelle Indian restaurants that everyone will want to eat at."

A fascinating cultural boomerang effect! Chefs who've mastered international techniques are returning to their roots with newfound appreciation and elevated execution. They're not rejecting global influences but rather using them as tools to amplify regional Indian flavours with unprecedented sophistication.

Vaze also notes an intriguing paradox: "Fine dining seems to be a thing of the past although that doesn't mean food is cheap!" Culinarians are seemingly moving away from stuffy formality while maintaining uncompromising quality standards.

Breaking the mould

The traditional restaurant categories are blurring as culinarians create spaces that defy easy classification. Chef Karan Upmanyu predicts: "The upcoming F&B outlets would break away from the mould of fitting in any specific format. They would just be places where people feel nice about spending their afternoons and evenings and generally have a good time."

This format fluidity hints at changing urban lifestyles where dining spaces must accommodate everything from quick meetings to extended socialising. The new baseline is about creating environments where people genuinely want to spend time.

Is this the post-2020 awakening?

Chef Niyati Rao identifies a crucial post-pandemic cultural shift: "Something shifted with trends after 2020. Diners today are looking for experiences equivalent to what they are experiencing during their travels. It's becoming a way of life!"

This travel-inspired expectation has elevated local dining standards dramatically. Culinarians now compete not just with neighbouring restaurants but with global experiences their guests encounter during travel. This has pushed innovation into overdrive, with conceptually-led establishments gaining unprecedented acceptance.

Tasting menus for time-pressed lives

Sourish Bhattacharyya highlights an often-overlooked driver of menu innovation: "Tasting menus will catch on because increasingly people want to be presented with the chef's signature menu that is quick and effortless to order from... such tasting menus offer a great lunchtime proposition to the time-constrained executive."

Culinarians are creating premium dining experiences that fit into compressed schedules while showcasing their best work. It is efficiency meets artistry, at its best!

What's next?

The dining out revolution is changing what and how we eat, how we connect, celebrate, and understand ourselves through food! And at the heart of it are culinarians who are the cusp of a cultural renaissance that honours tradition and local flavours while embracing a global innovation, when it comes to food and drink!

This is just the start, we're committed to exploring how India's food innovators are navigating challenges, embracing opportunities, and shaping the future of our culinary culture! Watch this space for more.

The expert insights and quotes in this article are credited to the Dining Out section of the Godrej Food Trends Report 2025. To explore more culinary trends shaping India, read the full report here.